Improved soda-water apparatus



-cisterns UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

CHARLES C. SHELDRAKE AND JOSEPH BREADY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

IMPROVED SODA-WATER APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,4194, dated March27, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES C. SHEL- DRAKE and JOSEPH BREADY, of thecity and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Soda-/Vater Cisterns; and we dohereby declare the following description and accompanying drawing aresucient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which itmost nearly appertains to make and use our said invention orimprovements without further invention or experiment.

The nature of our invention and improvements has reference to the mannerof securing the bottomsof soda-water fountains or cisterns, by whichthey can be removed from and attachedv to the same with greater facilityand more convenience than heretofore, the connection being made by asimple screw thread or threads, and the lower portion ofthe fountain andthe bottom being so constructed in relation to each other that a chamberis formed, whereby suitable packing can be so applied as to ei'ectuall yprevent the possibility of any escape of the fluidcontents that may beplaced therein. Also, another important feature, which we believe, fromexperience in the matter, has been overlooked. Itis an object of thefirst importance, in the preparation of soda-water and other drinks inthe concoction of which riverwater is used, to prevent the agitation ofthe sedimentwhich is always precipitated upon the bottom of such vesselswhich contain it, and which sedimentis increased daily in soda- When theuid is withdrawn for use the agitation of the sedimentary particles isproportionate to the surface of the bottom of the cisterns over whichthey are spread; and whereas a square bottom of said cisterns containson all its parts alike an equal amount of sediment, which isprecipitated thereon, to remedy which we construct a concave-shapedbottom or cup, which tends to concentrate to a common center all of thesedimentary particles, the advantage of which will be obvious when it isstated that the agitation of the uid in the cistern consequent upon thedischarge or emission of the same for use causes an agitation of saidparticles, which agitation is not only proportionate to the base orinner diameter of the cistern, but depends upon the mutual attraction ofthe particles for each other,

and therefore the particles in the concave or cup bottom of the cisternbeing concentrated, whereas in a square or flat bottom, such as are inuse, they are dispersed and spread over a large space, the mutualattraction, as represented in the cup or concave shaped bottom, acts asa prevention of the ascension of said particles, and hence the fiuid islunch purer and freer in the cup than in the square or iiat shapedbottoms of cisterns.

To enable any one skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The flgure in the drawing, A, represents a vertical section of asoda-water fountain or cistern. It is constructed ofthe size and shapeand of such material known in the manufacture ofsuch vessels. The innerdiameter of the lower portion of the fountain is enlarged inwardly. 'Iheentire circumference from the terminus of the enlargement to the bottomend is made perfectly straight. The height or distance between the twopoints is not very material, depending in a measure upon the relativeposition of the cup B to the same. The cup or concave shaped bottom B ismade with a sufficient base to support the fountain when standing up,and is cast in one piece, having a screw thread or threads, a, fittinginto corresponding ones on the outer diameter of the fountain, at thebottom end of it. We will here remark that it is obvious that the mannerof connecting the bottom plate or cup to the fountain, is much moreconvenient and practicable than the method now in use of securing thesame by bolts, which require more labor in tightening and removing themthan in the simple connection made by the screw-threads, which bottom sosecured can be removed and tightened with facility. A sufficient portionof the bottom plate, B, projects up in the fountain so as to form a cupor a hollow of a concave shape to receive the sediment, which by theshape thus given is concentrated in the center of it, and is notsusceptible of being diffused through or thrown up to the surface of theliquid contents placed therein when withdrawn, as hereinbeforedescribed. The diameter of the cup is made smaller than the innerdiameter of the fountain, as will be observed, whereby a space orchamber is formed to receive suitable packing for the purpose of l. Theeup or concave shaped bottom B, as constructed and applied incombination with the fountain A, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose as herein set forth.

2. The application of the cu p or bottom plate, B, in its connectionwith thei'ountain by means ofthe screw-threads a, substantially in themanner and for the purpose as herein set forth.

CHARLES G. SHELDRAKE. JOSEPH BREADY.

Witnesses:

CHAs. F. MYERs, W. BURRIs.

